Courtesy of Taco Bell
Audio By Carbonatix
The Quesarito is coming back, and Taco Bell wants Denver Nuggets three-time MVP Nikola Jokić to have a bite.
Never afraid to be cheesy, the fast-food chain is milking the storied overlap of Jokić’s selection as the Nuggets’ second-round 2014 draft pick with a commercial for the undeniably dank Quesarito, which was discontinued a day before 420 in 2023. Taco Bell is now bringing the item back, the company just announced, and will launch an ad campaign urging Jokić to sample the beef and rice burrito wrapped in a quesadilla, which he said in February that he had never tried “because of that” connection to him.
“Taco Bell is now fully embracing the moment that started in Denver’s backyard, calling on Jokić to finally try Taco Bell and the very item that shared his draft-day spotlight for the first time,” reads an announcement from the fast-food giant. “Consider this both a friendly apology and a playful challenge.”
The moment has since become symbolic of Jokić’s underdog story and a stroke of marketing fortune for Taco Bell. The 6’11” Serbian, who was asleep when he was drafted 41st overall, was such an unknown that ESPN didn’t mind advertising the then-new Quesarito with a silly commercial about a guy with a burrito falling in love with a woman with a quesadilla as the Denver Nuggets made their pick.
The Nuggets were still a year away from seeing Jokić play his first game, five years from seeing him named an All-Star and then MVP, and nine years from seeing him lead Denver to an NBA championship. Now, he’s the Joker, a triple-double machine and the face of the team — if not the league — but the Nuggets and Jokić still get overlooked from time to time.
Courtesy of Taco Bell
The Quesarito comes back on December 18, when the Nuggets host the Orlando Magic. It obviously won’t be coming back at the same price: When Taco Bell interrupted Jokić’s drafting in 2014, a beef Quesarito cost $1.99, shredded chicken was $2.79 and steak $2.99. The beef Quesarito will return for $4.99. Good thing Jokić is on a five-year, $276 million contract.
Jokić has always been a private guy, but he doesn’t mind occasionally putting his face out there. He joined teammate Peyton Watson for a Hotels.com commercial in 2023, starred in a teaser for Despicable Me 4 the next year, and endorsed a Serbian energy drink called Joker in April. But Taco Bell might have a hard time roping him into its Quesarito campaign.
According to Taco Bell, the food-delivery service GrubHub reported the Quesarito as the chain’s top order before it dropped off the menu. Taco Bell hinted at its return with online petitions to reinstate it, but so far hasn’t said if the Quesarito is here to stay.
Maybe it’s the legal weed, but Denver loves Taco Bell. In October, more than 700 runners completed a 31-mile run to ten Taco Bells in Denver as part of the Eighth Taco Bell 50K Ultramarathon, showing that even the healthiest in the Mile High don’t mind getting a little Gordita. In 2026, Denver International Airport will open the city’s first Taco Bell Cantina, a more upscale version of the fast-food chain’s typical locations.
While businesses have struggled on downtown Denver’s 16th Street in recent years, it seems like a Taco Bell will always have a spot there (though its location moved from 1600 Glenarm Place to 634 16th Street after the 2020 pandemic). For most Colorado Rockies fans, the only thing worth cheering about most days is free Taco Bell: When the Rockies score seven or more runs, participating Taco Bells give away a free taco as part of a promotion that is now exclusive to Denver — but unfortunately, the team knows how to lose even with seven runs on the board.
Strengthening its ties with Denver is a smart move for Taco Bell. The company hopes Jokić will help with that, but if the Joker does decide to try a Quesarito, let’s hope it’s not on game day. The court should be the only place he’s dumping buckets.
